Clinton’s Benghazi testimony postponed, for now

Hillary Clinton will not testify before Congress about Benghazi this coming Thursday, as scheduled, because she is recovering from a concussion suffered due to a fall. Apparently, after suffereing from a stomach flu, she became dehydrated, and this caused the fall.

The heads of the Senate and House Foreign Relations Committees, Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, both excused Clinton from testifying next week, and reasonably so. But Ros-Lehtinen made it clear that Clinton eventually must testify, and publicly, about the Benghazi attacks. She added:

We have been combing through classified and unclassified documents and have tough questions about State Department threat assessments and decision-making on Benghazi. This requires a public appearance by the Secretary of State herself. Other cabinet secretaries involved should also be held publicly accountable.

Indeed.

For now, William Burns, the deputy secretary of state, and Thomas Nides, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, will appear in Clinton’s place.

JOHN adds: I suppose it is possible that Clinton actually sustained a concussion, as her doctors claim, although their account is less than convincing:

Secretary Clinton developed a stomach virus, leading to extreme dehydration, and subsequently fainted. Over the course of this week we evaluated her and ultimately determined she had also sustained a concussion.

If so–and, to repeat, I am skeptical–it is one of the more convenient concussions ever suffered. I have no confidence that we will ever hear Hillary Clinton’s sworn testimony as to why our diplomats’ pleas for better security in Libya were ignored, why the risk of a terrorist attack on September 11 was not foreseen, or why timely and adequate aid was not sent to Benghazi when the attack began or during the ensuing seven hours.